This homemade Vegan French Onion Dip is packed with flavor from savory caramelized onions blended with creamy cashews and silken tofu. This rich and flavorful dip is way better than the store bought kind, and it's so easy to make!
When I'm invited to a party, I'm the first person to jump on the opportunity to bring a dish. I know, that's so nice of me, right? Eh, maybe not.
My generosity is usually pretty self-interested. See, I just want to make sure there is something delicious (and vegan) for me to eat.
And often times I bring along a vegan dish and simply forget to tell anyone that it's vegan. Take this French onion dip for example. No one would ever know this dip is vegan!
What people will notice is that this is way better than any French onion dip they've ever had. It's one of my favorite party foods!
This Vegan French Onion Dip is:
- A crowd pleasing vegan appetizer!
- Easy to make in advance.
- Vegetarian.
- Vegan.
- Dairy free.
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
Ingredient Tips
Most French onion dips I've tried involve a packet of dried spice mix or something that comes out of the refrigerator case in a tub.
But this dip is made with real, fresh ingredients. Including caramelized onions, which generally make most things better.
Tofu and cashews have become something of a go-to all purpose dairy substitute for me, and in this recipe they did a beautiful job of standing in for traditional sour cream.
Be sure to use raw cashews (not the toasted kind), and soak them for at least four hours before processing. This ensures you get that nice creamy texture. I usually let mine soak overnight for convenience.
If you forget to soak your cashews, you can cheat by soaking them in boiling hot water for 30 minutes. It's not quite as good, but it works in a pinch!
Silken tofu serves as the base of this dip. You need to use silken tofu specifically for its creamy texture. Firm tofu will not blend up into a creamy dip!
This recipe calls for vegan Worcestershire sauce. I'll admit, this can be a tricky one to find depending on where you live. I typically order mine online - I like this one best.
FAQs
What do you serve with French Onion Dip? It's a thicker dip, so you'll want sturdy dippers! Serve it with thick cut potato chips, veggie chips, crackers, or raw veggies like carrots for dipping.
How do you store leftover dip? Store it in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Can you make French Onion dip ahead of time? Yes, you can make this dip up to 24 hours in advance of serving, and it will still taste very fresh.
While you're here, be sure to grab our FREE 5-Day Meatless Meal Plan. It's packed with tasty recipes to make vegetarian cooking easy and delicious!
More Recipes
If you love this vegan French onion dip, be sure to check out these other crowd pleasing plant based recipes:
- 25 Best Vegan Dips from Veg Kitchen
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Acorn Squash & Caramelized Onion Dip
- 35 Vegetarian Tailgate Recipes
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups onions, sliced, about 2 medium onions or ¾ pound
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours and drained
- 1 cup silken tofu, ½ pound
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ to ½ cup water, to desired consistency
Instructions
- Place onions, olive oil and thyme into large skillet and toss a few times to coat onions. Place over medium-low heat. Allow to cook, uncovered, flipping occasionally, until onions begin to caramelize and brown in spots, about 25-30 minutes. Add garlic clove and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
- Place cashews, tofu, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce into bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Season with salt and pepper and thin with water to desired consistency. Pulse a few times to blend.
- Add onion mixture and pulse a few times, just until finely chopped and incorporated into mixture. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately or chill.
Sammie says
What a fab idea to use cashews to create that gorgeous creaminess that's needed in a dip. I love onion dip and although I'm not vegan my mum and some of my friends are lactose/dairy intolerant, so this is a great recipe to have, not only to share with them - but to also broaden my culinary horizons. Thank you. Sammie http://www.feastingisfun.com
Alissa says
This would be perfect for anyone that's lactose intolerant! Enjoy!
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
This dip sounds appetizing! I'm not a big fan of tofus, but I will surely try this one.
Alissa says
It doesn't taste like tofu at all! I think you'll enjoy it! 🙂
Amy says
Oh this sounds so good! Gonna add it to my list to try! Thanks! 🙂
Alissa says
Thanks Amy! Enjoy!
Leah says
Do you think this could be made without tofu (my husband is allergic to soy) ?
Alissa says
Hi Leah! You might be able to get away with skipping the tofu and using extra cashews. The texture will be a bit different though.
Laura says
I've pureed potatoes before (think creamy like Yukon Golds) to add creamy bulk to spreads. Be sure it's hot and cooked thoroughly to get the smoothest texture in the food processor.
Alissa says
Absolutely! I've used potatoes to make cheesy vegan dips and they worked great!
Rajul | Charlotte Veggie says
YUM! I'm def going to make this!
Dhvani says
Hey! Love this recipe idea!! Anything I can replace the Worcestershire sauce with!!?? I don't get that here..
Alissa says
Thank you! Worcestershire is a tough one to replace...you could try a vegan steak sauce, like A1 if that's available, or just increase the amounts of the other seasonings.
Amber Stine says
This recipe will not print! Only the name comes up and nothing else.
Katie Trant says
Hey Amber, we're aware there is an issue with the print function and we're working on getting it fixed!
Laura says
would i be able to omit the silken tofu? just add a bit of water to fix the consistency?